2023 Sadie Family Citrusdal Mountain Kokerboom
2023 Sadie Family Citrusdal Mountain Kokerboom

2023 Sadie Family Citrusdal Mountain Kokerboom

Highly Rated
Sadie Family Wines |Swartland |Semillon
A rare and powerful expression of South Africa’s vinous heritage, this exceptional old-vine Semillon blend showcases the unique character of a 90-year-old, unirrigated vineyard in the remote Citrusdal Mountains.
Price:
$165.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship, only 1 unit left
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Description

Kokerboom is one of the most unique and revered wines in Sadie Family’s District Series, offering an extraordinary glimpse into South Africa’s vinous heritage. Named after the striking aloe plants that surround its ancient vines, this 90-year-old vineyard sits high in the Citrusdal Mountain district, on arid Table Mountain sandstone soils.

Planted in the 1930s, the vineyard is a field blend of Semillon Blanc and Semillon Gris. Farmed without herbicides or artificial fertilisers for its entire life, the site produces tiny yields—just 16 hl/ha in 2023. The grapes are co-fermented and raised in large oak vessels, where they develop stunning complexity and texture. The decision to pick slightly earlier this vintage balances the wine’s natural richness with a vibrant freshness.

Expect a layered and powerful wine with flavours of lime, nectarine, and chamomile, supported by a waxy texture and a core of stony minerality. It’s a deeply expressive Semillon, built for ageing, that captures the essence of its rugged, remote terroir.

Production remains minuscule, making this a rare gem for collectors and connoisseurs alike. It’s a bottle to savour and share with those who appreciate wines of singular character.

96 points
"A wonderfully textural and waxy semillon that has aromas and flavors of beeswax, lime peel, juniper berries and thyme, as well as a hint of orange blossom. It’s full-bodied but remarkably fresh and lively. With a long life ahead, for now it’s focused on the limey and wild-herb freshness. Drink or hold."
- Claire Nesbitt (James Suckling)

96 points
"Generally the most exotic white in the Sadie Family range... more focused in 2023 because of the early pick, with lime, nectarine and lemon zest underpinned by stony minerality."
- Tim Atkin MW (South Africa Report 2023)

93 points
"Fresh and tensile... well balanced with citric notes of bitter lemon and orange rind, leading to a strict and linear finish that lingers in the mouth. Very fine."
- Neal Martin (Vinous)

96 points - "A wonderfully textural and waxy semillon that has aromas and flavors of beeswax, lime peel, juniper berries and thyme, as well as a hint of orange blossom. It’s full-bodied but remarkably fresh and lively. With a long life ahead, for now it’s focused on the limey and wild-herb freshness. Drink or hold." - Claire Nesbitt (James Suckling)

96 points - "Henk Laing's grape and rooibos tea farm on the Citrusdal Mountain has been taken over by his family after his death, which is a relief to fans of this wine (and others from the property). A co-fermentation of Semillon and 25% Semillon Gris, this is generally the most exotic white in the Sadie Family range, but is a bit more focused in 2023 because of the early pick. Lime, nectarine and lemon zest flavours are underpinned by stony minerality." - Tim Atkin MW (South Africa Report 2023)

93 points - "The 2023 Kokerboom is a blend of co-planted Sémillon Blanc and Gris on sandstone with shale and silt—Sadie’s most northerly parcel in the Cape. Yellow plum and light waxy scents slowly emerge on the nose; this is another 2023 that takes time to open in the glass, with just a hint of star anise in the background. Fresh and tensile, the palate is well balanced with citric notes of bitter lemon and orange rind, leading to another strict and linear finish that lingers in the mouth. Very fine." - Neal Martin (Vinous)

Citrusdal Mountain. Following the Citrusdal Valley north towards Clanwilliam, we come to Sadie’s highest vineyard, Kokerboom. Named for the striking aloe plants that grow near the vines, Kokerboom was planted on Table Mountain sandstone in the 1930s and is now home to one of Swartland’s few remaining plantings of old-vine Semillon. This variety once made up 80% of South Africa’s plantings. The site was owned and managed by Henk Laing until his recent death, and Sadie says that this “is one of the most pristine old vineyards we know. No herbicides or artificial fertilisers have ever been used on it, and it has been perfectly pruned over the years. The downside is that it is small and low yielding.”

Kokerboom is a field blend of Semillon Blanc and Semillon Gris, the latter contributing 15-25%, depending on the year. Both Semillons are picked and pressed together and raised in large-format oak. Thanks to its solar exposition, the Semillon ripens exceptionally well and has little to none of the tart herbaceousness sometimes associated with the grape. Instead, Semillon from this site is known for its ripe lime characters, chamomile notes and waxy texture. This year, Kokerboom is the lowest-yielding vineyard of the District Series—in 2023, the vines squeezed out just 16 hl/ha— and Eden implores that what little there is should be shared among friends! For the second year running, there was very little rain in the Citrusdal Mountains, and again, Sadie opted to pick the grapes slightly earlier than he would naturally be inclined to. Bottled at 13.8% alcohol and notwithstanding its fresh appearance, it is a powerful wine (in the most beautiful sense). “The tannins, acidity, overall texture, and volume in the wine are incredible, and we are in awe of the power of this terroir,” says Eben.

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type White
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Semillon
Country South Africa
Region Swartland
Feature High Score
Reviewed By James Suckling
Critic Score 96
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Cork

Sadie Family Wines

One of the tearaway producers of the revitalised Swartland wine scene, Sadie Family Wines has had an astronomical rise to fame on the international stage.

Owner and winemaker, Eben Sadie, first found acclaim under the banner of Terroir Al Limit where he was a co-founder alongside Dominik Huber. In the same way that Terroir Al Limit helped redefine what wine could taste like from Priorat in Spain, Sadie handles his family wines and vines with that same ruthless attention to detail.

These wines perfectly articulate a sense of place. Sadie's transparency in winemaking and obsessive farming practices reveal intense, tightly-wound wines with distinct personality. These are now some of South Africa's most keenly sought-after artisan wines. Worldwide allocations are minuscule and hotly contested. As little as a handful of bottles make it to Australia each year. Secure these rare birds while you can.

Eben Sadie in the vineyard Sadie Family Wines

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